After ______ seemed a hopeless wait, four coal-miners trapped in the mine for 125 hours were finally rescued in Heilongjiang Province.
We thought Tom wouldn't pass the exam, but to ___, he passed.
As she ___ the newspaper. Granny ___ asleep.
I don't really work here; I ___ until the new secretary arrives.
It ___ that Napoleon always asked the same three questions, and usually in the same order.
The population of China ___ over one thousand million.